Ingot scalping machine



April 1949- w. J. TRETHEWAY 2,466,187

INGOT SCALPING MACHINE Filed Feb. 16, 1945 2 She'ets'-Sheet l h L J] (5% Patented Apr. 5, 1949 ifU'NiI-T'Ep or F! C E .INGOT JSCALPING...-MA'CHINE.

'-William -J.:Tretheway, Henderson; N ev.,-;:a ssignor, byrmesne assignment-s, .toitherUnited 'States'of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy Application" February 16,1945, Serial=No.578,203

chinefor sc'alping nomferrous ingots such as those cast of magnesium and the like,.'and; =provides means for; feeding the. ingots to a sc'alping 'cutter as well as resilientimeans for ,holdingllthe 'ingot'in a firm position while it/is beingcutlby the cutter.

The inventiomin its more complete and advantageous embodiments, comprises-an ingotfeed mechanism, ,preferably comprising an endless chain with means thereon for engaging each ingot and feeding it to the cutter, means for guiding the ingots and preventing lateral movement :thereofp-and resilient means arranged to bear on the ingots and hold them -invposition while they arebeing fed to the cutter. -W hile any suitable scalping cutter may be used, a milling head.

especially one rotating ona' vertical shaft above the ingots, is very efiective for the purposes of the invention. The machine is especially efiective for-scalping long-narrow-and notched ingobs, especially those-tapering in cross section towards. the bottom, and includes a guideway in which the chain travels to'feed the ingots-under the milling head .thereabove which cuts-away the upper surface of the ingot. The chain preferably is fitted with a number of dogs, each of which engages a notch inthe ingot and1=pushes it under the milling head. -A-p1urality -of rubber covered rollers operating under spring tension are mounted on the machine above the chain and arranged to bear on the ingots and press them into a secure position while they pass under the milling head. The chain feed is preferably driven by its own motor through a speed reduction gear and the milling head is preferably driven directly by its own motor.

These and other novel features of the invention will be better understood after considering the following discussion taken in conjunction with the following drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of apparatus embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the apparatus of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the apparatus of Fig. 1;

f2 ."FigJA is a view along .line 4- 4 of Fig.1; Figj5' is a side view of ..-an ingotof the type especially suited for scaping by the apparatus of theinvention; and

,JFig. '6 isv a,sectiona1: ViBW' somewhat similar" to (that ofFig. 4 showing a: modification. v

.Thezgapparatus illustrated .inithe'drawings comrprises .,-asteel supporting structureflhaving .a; low itableportion pl, a,high-'table,portion"2 attached thereto, and an .upright frame 3. attached tof the table 2. The {chain base platew hastwo; paral- "l'el grooves' milled therein providinga.trackl5lfor fguiding'the" endless roller chain 6 which passes over the sprockets! and "8. The guide plates I0 and II aretadjusta'bly.attachedto the plate 4 "andwarespaced apart sufficientlyvtozproyide a channel or groove through which the ingots l2 "are *fedin engagemenflwith the inclinediaces I 3 -and I 4: respectively.

As'best shown in Figs. 4 and 5, they-ingots are long and narrow of wedge-shaped cross-section "With"a'm0ld,n0tch l5'in the under surface, the top surface I'Bbeing opposite. and of; relatively "greater width" than the bottom surface l1. -The 't'chain fih-as azplurality of spaceddogs I 8..attached "thereto which' engage the. not-ch. l5 0f "the ingot xtto positively feed it in the direction ,of :chain travel.

JIhe 'm'otor20 on thet'able' I ,is connectediby shaft-'2 I to the .speed. reduction gear 22 .which tis-connectedpby 'shaft'i23' to the sprocket.,8.for drivingthe chain*-6 in'the direction of the arrow. A plurality of pressure rollers 24 are mounted on the base plate 4 and above the ingots being fed along the chain. As best shown in Fig. 4, the rollers 24 have an exterior layer of resilient rubber 25 and are mounted upon shafts 26 arranged transverse to the chain 6. The end of each shaft is attached to a bearin bracket 21 to which is attached a rod 28 slidably mounted in a suitable hole through the plate 4, table 2 and guides l0 and II. Each rod has a spring 30 and adjusting nut 3| for urging the roller 24 downwardly and into pressing engagement with the top surface of the ingot l2 thereunder. The motor mounted on the frame 3 has a vertical shaft 36 to which is attached the rotary milling head 31 which carries a plurality of cutters 38 adjustably mounted in the disc 39.

As best shown in Figs. 1 and 2, there are four of the rollers 24 on the right or entrance end of the guides l and II through which the ingots are fed by the chain 6 under the milling head 31 and there are two such rollers 24 on the opposite or discharge side. The milling head is so adjustably positioned with respect to the upper surface of the ingot that the cutters 38 cut off the desired layer from the upper surface of the ingot as it is fed thereunder. The upper surface of ingots is usually irregular and the resilient rubber layer 25 adjusts the rollers to these irregularities making it possible for the springs 30 to exert the desired downward pressure on the ingot to hold it in a firm position while it is being cut by the milling head.

It will be apparent from the arrangement of apparatus illustrated that there are distinct advantages in the use of two motors, one for driving the chain at a positive reduced speed and another motor for driving the milling head at a relatively great speed.

The modified apparatus illustrated in Fig. 6 .comprises two chains 40 and 4| travelling in track grooves 42 and 43, respectively, in the base plate 44. There are three guides 45, 46 and 41 for guiding the two ingots 48 and 49. The shaft 50 has mounted thereon the rollers and 52 similar to the rollers 24 of Fig. 4.

In using the apparatus of the invention for scalping magnesium ingots, for example, the ingots are placed on the chain at the right end of table 2, as shown in Fig. 2, and as one of the dogs l8 engages one of the notches 15, the ingot is fed through themillin head. A chain speed of approximately 90 inches per minute allows practical operation by one man. The springs 30may be adjusted to allow for irregularities in ingot sizes and to keep a constant pressure on the upper surface of the ingots. As shown in the drawings, the milling head rotates clockwise which is opposite to the direction of travel of the ingot.

The apparatus of the invention may be used for scalping any non-ferrous ingots or similarly shaped bodies formed of plastic material.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for scalping long narrow notched ingots of tapered cross-section which comprises a trough-like horizontally disposed guide in which the ingots are fed, the guide being shaped to hold the flat tapered sides of the ingots in a close fit, a milling head mounted above the guide arranged to but off the upper surface of the ingots, an endless chain having dogs spaced thereon'for engaging the notches in the ingots, means for driv-v ing the chain through the guide to feed the ingots to the milling head, and resilient means adjacent the milling head and above the guide cooperating with the guide to hold the ingots in a firm position to prevent rotation during the scalping operation.

2. Apparatus for scalpin long narrow notched ingots of tapered cross-section which comprises a trough-like horizontally disposed guide in which the ingots are fed, the guide being shaped to hold the fiat tapered sides of the ingots in a close fit, a milling head mounted above the guide arranged to out 01f the upper surface of the ingots, an endless chain having dogs spaced thereon for engaging the notches in the ingots and passing through the trough-like portion of the guide, means for driving the chain through the guide to feed the ingots to the milling head, and. resilient means adjacent the milling head and above the guide cooperating with the guide to hold the ingots in a firm position to prevent rotation during the scalping operation.

3. Apparatus for scalping long narrow notched ingots of tapered cross-section which comprises a trough-like horizontally disposed guide in which the ingots are fed, the guide being shaped to hold the fiat tapered sides of the ingots in a close fit, a milling head mounted above the guide arranged to cut off the upper surface of the ingots, an endless chain having dogs spaced thereon for engaging the notches in the ingots and passing through the trough-like portion of the guide, means for driving the .chain through the guide to feed the ingots to the milling head, and a plurality of rubber covered rollers each provided with spring means forcin the rollers into pressing engagement with the upper surface of the ingot being cut, said rollers cooperating with the guide to hold the ingots in a firm position to prevent rotation during the scalping operation.

WILLIAM J TRETHEWAY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Austria Sept. 10, 1923 

